alarm 1 of 2

variants also alarum
1
2
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alarm

2 of 2

verb

variants also alarum
1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word alarm distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of alarm are dread, fear, fright, panic, terror, and trepidation. While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

When is dread a more appropriate choice than alarm?

The words dread and alarm can be used in similar contexts, but dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

When can fear be used instead of alarm?

While the synonyms fear and alarm are close in meaning, fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

When might fright be a better fit than alarm?

The synonyms fright and alarm are sometimes interchangeable, but fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

Where would panic be a reasonable alternative to alarm?

In some situations, the words panic and alarm are roughly equivalent. However, panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

When would terror be a good substitute for alarm?

The meanings of terror and alarm largely overlap; however, terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

How do trepidation and dread relate to one another, in the sense of alarm?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alarm
Noun
The rapid influx has raised alarms among labor groups. Merritt Enright, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025 Tires warble, security alarms pulsateblasting phonics of intermittent percussion. Leslie Simon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
This isn’t in itself alarming in the moment, though such a narrow market often works against the duration of an advance. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025 In a city home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel, Mamdani’s message has struck sharply different chords, galvanizing left-leaning activists while alarming many Jewish voters who view his words as inflammatory. Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for alarm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarm
Noun
  • Foreboding and dread is consuming celebrities scheduled to dance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
    Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
  • As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The impact of the storm was worsened by clogged waterways in an already flood-prone area, and an apparent lack of understanding of early warnings, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator for the Philippines Office of Civil Defense told local media.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High wind warning.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Cotton argued the shutdown’s cause was not the expiring health care subsidies, but rather Democrats’ fear of blowback from their supporters.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, raising fears of evacuations in Tehran while threatening the regime’s stability and nuclear ambitions, according to a leading environmental expert.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Still, the company faces the same existential headwinds that have scared other would-be moguls away from the news business.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Skinner has gone to back-to-back Cup Finals, but the volatility in his game probably scares decision-makers.
    Chris Johnston, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The lack of an addition to the running back room hit harder on Monday when Chiefs head coach Andy Reid offered a concise, but concerning, injury update on Pacheco.
    Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act updated the farm safety net and other farm insurance programs, but lawmakers still need to revise programs concerning rural development and agricultural research.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile Syria remains scarred by years of conflict and nationals in Germany are looking on at the debate with mounting worry.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Leaders at big carmakers spelled out their worries in the latest round of earnings calls, saying that finding a replacement for Nexperia at scale in the short term will be difficult.
    Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The attendees—thirty- and forty-somethings who are members of the bank’s Private Wealth Management (PWM) division, which boasts an average account size of over $75 million—gathered to hash out their anxiety and excitement.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Barton will have to wait another month to receive his sentence for the six guilty counts the jury returned on charges of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety to football broadcasters Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, and TV and radio host Jeremy Vine.
    Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Tens of millions of dollars have been spent to redefine reality and to convince our neighbors that this new age is something that should frighten them.
    TIME Video, Time, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarm. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

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